Can double seaming machine



Patented Oct. 2, 1945,

CAN DOUBLE sEAMiNG Jacob H. Schurch, Los Angeles, Calif., assignorg to Angelus Sanitary Can Machinery Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Applieatien neeember 1s, 1942, serial Ne. 469,736

1 Claim.

` chines of the general type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,052,620. issued to Henry" L. Guenther September l, 1936, a double seaming machine was disclosed which included a turret rotating upon a vertical axis and carrying a plurality of seaming heads and sets of chucks. In that type of machine cans were fed to a position between sets of chucks and thus held while the turret rotated upon its vertical axis and while the double seaming rollers of the seaming heads on the machine individually rotated around the lip of the can and an associated cap and formed a double seam. In View of the fact that these machines are used in placing, caps on filled cans it is obvious that any violent disturbance of the cans would cause material to spill, and this material might be thrown outwardly due to the centrifugal motion imparted by the rotating turret. Since the machine is operating at a relatively high speed of approximately 200 cans per minute, it is necessary to insure that all the parts are thoroughly lubricated. Lubricating oil thus has a tendency to be thrown from the machine. Furthermore, the 'moving parts of the machine provide a hazard to the workmen, and it is desirable to enclose the machine to obviate the aforementioned objections and dangers. Such a machine requires a rigid superstructure to afford support for the bearings of the rotating parts, and also requires means whereby an adequate reservoir of lubricating oil may be maintained in the base structure of the machine while being completely separate from the `material which may spill from the cans and such steam and wash-water as may be required to wash and clean the seaming heads and the can turrets from time to time.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a can double seaming machine including turrets and seaming heads, an overhead driving structure, and a timing structure in the base of the machine, the entire machine being enclosed, and an oil reservoir disposed in the base structure and separate from the compartment enclosing the turret mechanism. K

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing'the machine with parts broken away and indicating the details of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in ele- CTI vation showing the construction of the guard ring.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0 indicates a base casting upon which is `mounted a substantially cylindrical unitary housing I I. The housing is directly supported upon a guard ring I2 which is bolted to the base by cap screws I3 and to which the housing I I is secured .by cap screws I4. The details of the ring will be hereinafter described. Secured upon the upper end of the housing I I Aby cap screws I5 is a jack shaft housing I6. Mounted in suitable bearings within this housing and disposed transversely thereof is a jack shaft I'I which carries a driving pulley I8 at one end and associated with which is a driving clutch I9. The jack shaft Il carries a driving pinion 20 in mesh with a gear 2l. The pinion 20 and the gear 2l are bevelled gears. The gear 2l is carried upon the upper end of a center shaft 22. The jack shaft housing ,I6 is formed with a reservoir 23 within which lubrieating oil is contained for the gears and also for the upper elements of the turret. The details of construction of the turret may vary but are indicatedin U. S. `Letters Patent No. 2,052,620 issued to Henry L. Guenther on September 1, 1936.4 f

The lower end of the turret shaft 22 extends downwardly through a bearing plate 24 which extends horizontally and is cast integral with the top of the base Il). Mounted upon the shaft 22 is a drive sleeve 25 for the turrets of the machine. This sleeve also extends downwardly through a bearing 24', Suitable pressure grease members are provided to lubricate the shaft 22, the sleeve 25, and their bearings. The lower turret 2l of the machine carries an annular ring 28 which circumscribes its periphery and is formed with an apron 29 which extends `outwardly and downwardly to provide a vertical lip 30. This lip fits over a vertical lip 3I formed as a part of theguard ring I2. Extending downwardly and outwardly from the guard -ring I2 is an inclined wall 32 which terminates adjacent the circumference of the upper end of the base plate 24 and is sealed` with relation thereto to provide an oil reservoir 33. The oil reservoir 33 circumscribes the bearing 24 and retains a quantity of oil within the reservoir 33. In order to equalize the air pressure within the reservoir 33 and within the base I0, it is desirable to provide an air vent leading outside of the reservoir and y24 and communicating with the reservoir at its inner end. The outer end of the duct 34 is provided with a vent casting 35. This casting is formed with an inverted U-shaped duct 36, the innerend of Which communicates with the duct 34 and the outer end of which extends vertically and downwardly so that extraneous material is not liable to clog it. The bend in the duct 36 occurs at alevel above the normal level of lubricating oil withinv the reservoir 33. Thus, the member '35""prevents drainage of oil 'from the reservoir 33 and at the same time allows air to enter the reservoir to prevent an air lock. The member 35 is secured in place on the side 'of the base I by cap screws 31 and when this member is removed the oil is drained fromithereservoir 33.- As previously stated, it is necessary to washthe seaming mechanism, and this is done by vthe'use of hot water or steam. It .isdesirable to `prt-:vent ,A

this material from contaminating lthe oil in the reservoir 33. Thus, the diameter of the housing l lismaterially greater than the diameter of the lip 30 on the turret ring 28. This provides an annular opening 38 'eX-tending entirely around lthehousing and through which water, steam, and waste..material may flowonto the inclined floor .32.;:oi the guardri-ng l2 .and pass outwardly through 4the spaces 38 .between the reinforcing columns -39 which are arranged at spaced intervals .around the ring between a lower bolting flange r4.0V and an upper bolting flange 4|.. '.Byarranging the 4base .I- with a complete cynlin'd-rical housing structure lisecured thereupon and'thevjack shaft housing M5 Yrigidly Ysecured on the. topofthe main housing H, lthe entire struc- -ture will fbe held together virmly so `that all the :bear-ings? will bemaintained in `alignment and there will notfbe any nobjectionable vibration of the parts-of the -machine as Iitoperates at high fspeed.- Itis :possiblealsO-to secure the star wheels and transfer discs in position upon the housing AI- land -to thus support them-rigidly.

- I-n -operat-ionof the ypresent invention the double -fseaming--mach-ineis assembled as shown in the -drawingwith the apron@ of the turret Yring 28 overhanging the-lip 3l of the drain floor 32. Thus,-the oil reservoir 533 will vbe Asealed above the base plate 24 so that the lubricating oilmay accumulate within the reservoir 33 to the Aover- 4#flow 4 level indicated by a dotted line Iin Fig. -l. Y"-lVhen-thelevel of oil rises above the 'turn 33 in theV overflow the 'excess liquid will -d-rain off. "It'will also be understood that y"in the event `that heavier liquids, such as water, Ashould accumu- Alatewitliin the reservoir 33 fwit-h the 'oil they would arrange themselves at the -bottom of the 'reservoir and would drain 'out in advance lof the cdraining -o'i thebil; In the event' it is desired `to V-clean the interiorof the housing i l and the /doubleiseam-ing mechanism, one of the housing doors 'd'2 may be removed lso that Aa spray Yof water or lsteammay fbe 4projected into the housing. This liquid and the extraneous matter washed from the machine parts will flow downwardly through the annular passageway 38 and along the inclined drain iloor 32 to the exterior of the machine. In the event it is desired to drain the lubricating oil from the reservoir 33 the member 35 may be removed to allow the liquid to flow through the duct 34. As previously explained, the .possibilityof an airlock within the reservoir 33isprevented by the connection of the 'U -shaped duct 36 with the duct 34.

It will thus be seen that the structure here disclosed provides a can dou-ble seaming machine within which oil reservoirs for moving parts are maintained with the oil uncontaminated and in which the-moving ydouble seaming mechanism is 4`housedtov protect the workmen from it, and at the same time Vto provide facilities whereby the vinterior A'of the structure may be washed and the waste water drained away without contaminating the lubricating oil. It will further be evident that -the sbase andvhousing structures insure that :a double -seaming machine will be provided which is compact in design, rigid in construction, and will hold Ithelmoving parts Without possibility of obi ectionable vibra-tion. t

While I have lshown-the vpreferred form `of my vinvention as now known lto me, it will be understood that various changes maybe made income "binat'ion, construction and arrangement .of parts by those-skilled -in `-theart, wi thout departing Ifrom the .spirit of my-invention yas claimed.

Hav-ing thus described my invention, what 1 -claim and Adesire tosecure -by Letters Pat/ent is:`

Inaba-ndouble-fseaming machine, a base str-uc-y ftu-re having an -upper relatively flat face, a Vgua-rd ring vsecured upon said-face, said ring being vfor-med with ari-annular inwardly and upwardly extend-ing -drain wall vdening a liquid reservoir, a Acylindricalseal-ing lip along Athe inner upper edge of said Wall, a `housing agreeing in 4con- `lig-urationl with the guard ring resting upon yand Vsecured to 'said guard ring adjacent the upper outer edge thereof, said Aguard yring providing 'openings `from 'the housing to the atmosphere abovethe `drain wall, a rotary `turret vmounted within 'the area circumscribed bythe guard ring and Yincli-id-ing a 'cylindrical apron Aextending downwardly and around the lip of the Vannular drain wal-Ito forma liquid sea'l therewithjwhere- -by liquid from around the `turret and Within the housing may 4drain outwardly through the 'openings l'in the guard ring, and 'a 'fluid trap `comprising "a ducteXtendi-ng `ciutwardly from the bottoni of the liquid reservoir to apoint beyond theguard ring and there'terminating in a `U-'shaped duct 4extending vertically, thefbend in the duct `occurring ina horizontal planea predetermined distance abovetlre bottom of the'reservoir, and the 'discharge end 'of the duct 'communicating with the atmosphere at a point below the level ofthe outwardly extending portion of the duct.

JACOB SCHURCH. 

